At a recent demonstration of the coming attractions of General Motors' suite of safety features, we discovered an unexpected gem among the mix. As we spent the morning letting cars of the future drive us around, we happened upon a 2015 Chevrolet SS with a manual transmission.
That's right: For the upcoming model year, a 6-speed gearbox is on its way, as is Magnetic Ride Control, in response to consumer demand for the features. The automatic transmission will still be offered to stir the V-8-powered soul of the Australian-built performance car, but we foresee the manual as the way to go.
After pleading with our GM handlers at the Milford Proving Grounds, we gracefully accepted denial, as they argued in favor of a drive outside of the facility at a later date. We did hop in for a ride around the unfinished dynamics course, and the burble of the 415-hp, 6.2-liter engine was still as potent as ever-despite the sub-winter temperatures in Michigan.
We're looking forward to a chance to evaluate the effect of Magnetic Ride Control, although we did experience the manual SS park itself neatly between two other cars. Yes, the advanced parking tech will be available on non-automatics, a la BMW and Mini, among other manufacturers' systems.
A full test is to come. We cannot wait.
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